Diving into Silfra.

WOULD WE RECOMMEND SNORKELLING BETWEEN THE NORTH AMERICAN AND EURASIAN TECTONIC PLATES?

Let’s cut out the non-existent cliff-hanger here and say the answer is, of course, yes! We’ll tell you the pros and cons of our experience on this incredible excursion so you can weigh up how you feel about it for yourself.

We didn’t even realise this was a thing until coming across an ad for it when perusing things to do in Iceland on a quiet day at the office. It’s hard to wrap your head around at first- you’re swimming in glacial waters between two tectonic plates? Sold.

COST:

SNORKELLING: Approx. £70.00 per person for a 40 minute explore of the glacial spring, with everything you possibly need and complimentary refreshments included.

DIVING: Approx £155.00 per person. Only available with a PADI certification and proof you’ve dived in a dry suit within the previous two years, which is where we fell short. You do get the opportunity deep down to touch both plates at once!

DRY SUIT CERTIFICATION 2 DAY COURSE: Approx £450.00 per person. Could be worth it if you can afford it!

TRAVEL TO SILFRA (OPTIONAL): Approx. £35.00 per person with pick up. Although this is not cheap, for us it was worth it after a lot of treacherous roads we were thrilled for someone else to be behind the wheel! This experience involves travelling to Thingvallavatn, Iceland’s largest lake in Thingvellir National Park. This journey takes around an hour from Reykjavik. In the National Park, the roads are not cleared as promptly as the main roads are, it’s dark when you’ll be travelling to the activity and the weather is… changeable to say the least! Would be a different matter in summer!

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SNORKELLING EXPERIENCE
POSITIVES:

• The views below: the glacial water is as beautifully clear as it is refreshingly cold. The clarity and distance you can see below you can make you feel as though you’re flying over mountains rather than swimming. There is no life in the water other than those on the tours.
• The views above: the surrounding scenery is stunning. When we were there it was snow covered. You could see the tectonic plate divide on land as well as under the water and on the walk to the spring, you got to take it all in.
• Try a sip: The water you swim in is fit for drinking and has been filtered through volcanic rock for fifty years before reaching the spring, so you can take a sip.
• The gear: We had never worn dry suits before and we were concerned they would keep us neither warm nor dry but we were wrong on both counts. The diving site itself has heated changing facilities, but generally wear what will be under your dry suit because it’s not totally private.
  The dry suit basically keeps any water off your body, so when you take it off, the clothes you wear underneath remain completely dry (so do NOT pee in it!). They recommend thermals underneath but we did just fine in joggers and a t-shirt so don’t splash out unnecessarily!
  Our hands had wetsuit gloves on and our faces were uncovered for obvious reasons, so they went a little numb but it was by no means unbearable and honestly we were distracted by the views rather than worrying about our temperature!
• The staff: kind, informative and enthusiastic! Pick up service was prompt. The staff all clearly love what they do and have some really interesting stories about diving all over the world, they are very informative about Silfra itself and show you the route you’ll be taking before you jump in. When fitting and putting on the equipment, the staff were super chilled and friendly, cracking jokes and helping you out with getting it all on correctly which made the whole experience comical and comfortable where it could have been tedious and tricky.

SNORKELLING EXPERIENCE
(POTENTIAL) NEGATIVES:

• Cancellations: a very real possibility. Do be prepared that the weather can lead to cancellations or rearranging the excursions, because in the remote area of this National Park, the weather can be unpredictable and unsuitable for travel. We rearranged our own time slot because we changed our travel plans and the company was super easy to contact and very willing to make the changes for us as they must be used to doing so- but plan the excursion early on in your trip so that if rearrangements need to happen you have a few days to play around with and don’t end up having to cancel completely!
• Waiting around: at the end of our snorkelling session, we did have to wait around a little for the divers to finish and get out of their gear etc. This was no issue as we were able to chat with new friends and eventually pass out asleep from exhaustion- just make sure you don’t make any inflexible plans straight after your trip.
• Camera footage: you are permitted to take cameras down with you but be prepared that in the thick wetsuit gloves, it can be pretty tricky to press any buttons accurately on the camera you have. It’s best seen with the naked eye anyway or just recording the whole thing on a mount and editing later. We just recorded the lot and edited later, but it’s something to be aware of! Photographs can also be added on to the package deal if you prefer.
• Frozen beards: our guides admitted that in the depths of winter, the temperature can get pretty uncomfortable, icicles growing on the beard uncomfortable. We’d think that was insanely cool, but if you’re not up for that, just be aware that it’s a possibility at certain times of the year.

We would highly recommend this; it’s once in a lifetime – seeing the planet from a perspective you never have – and it’s clear why it was rated the 4th best excursion in the world on TripAdvisor in 2019.
This review gives you a few pointers to be aware of but you should check it out if it sounds like something you’d enjoy: https://www.dive.is/.

Thanks for reading. Any questions, please comment!